World Premiere of Kassia at Pittsburgh’s August Wilson Center

After two Covid-related postponement, the Kassia Ensemble will present a video premiere of Kassia, their first commission for their entire ensemble of clarinet, harp and string quintet. Kassia was inspired by the ensemble’s namesake, the 9th-century Byzantine Abbess, poet and hymnographer, and likely the first woman whose music has survived until now. There are references to  motifs from two of her major chants, as well as nods to rhythmic shapes in their poetry, though the final piece is a meditation on the spiritual life in both its soaring meditations and challenges. For more information, visit  here. The video will be presented prior to the performance of Missy Mazzoli’s opera Song From The Uproar at the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh, PA.